Her er min analyse af, hvad det er, vi ser lige nu. Trump har faktisk gang i to agendaer, hvor det at han lykkes med den ene, er absolut afgørende for Danmarks og Europas sikkerhed.
I agree with much of this and the preceding post, Jesper, especially about Berlingske’s framing of Trump and Denmark’s relation to Greenland. And I applaud your zeal and conviction.
But I think you’re too dismissive of TDR, which is difficult to avoid in some degree if you watch the rallies or the infomercials you’ve presented. It’s important to distinguish between Trump’s personality (persona, really) and manner and his policies.
You can favor free speech, border restrictions, banning gender-affirming care for minors, etc., enough to vote for him instead of the alternative, and still find him a loathsome demagogue.
He’s both a pathological liar and a tactical bullshitter, and the latter can have advantages for his allies, even if he isn’t anyone’s true ally.
When Denmark “collaborates” with such an untrustworthy partner on Arctic security, it’s not only about fortifying the West’s geopolitical power. It’s also about massaging the image of personal power he wants to gain from a real estate vanity project.
Can Denmark both “bend over backwards” to support US strength, as you think it should, and also keep Greenland in the Realm, as you hope it will?
I don't know if we can. It depends on our government entirely, legally. However, Denmark needs to show Greenland some love on a seriously serious level. If there's a referendum in Greenland, that shows that a clear majority of Greenlanders want to secede from the Danish Commonwealth, well, then the Government is in a pickle - because how do you force someone to stay who wants to leave? It will be completely unsustainable.
As for Trump and USA, I willingly admit, that I have almost limitless goodwill towards your country and trust the good, moral and ethical intentions of the incoming administration. I'm not necessarily sure, that it will all be to our specific benefit, but I don't think we can demand that. We have behaved atrociously immature and irresponsibly for decades. It's time for us to put in some serious work and let the USA go about hers. The twain *will* meet but it may take awhile. The Trump Administration needs to get to work.
I'm under no illusions about Trump's failings and foibles - but they are transparent, what you see is what you get. There's an honesty to his 'dishonesty'. I admire his resilience. The way Trump is constituted is exactly what you want in someone leading a declining superpower that needs to be brought back to greatness. And ... he is funny 🤓
Sorry, Mark, we won't see eye to eye on the Orange B*stard. And we don't need to. I'll be watching him closely and if I'm wrong, in four years I'll buy everybody a round 🥴
Gaetz was a strategic ploy. It was, imho, never the intention that Gaetz would make it to secretary. It was, ostensibly, intended to serve two purposes:
1. Smooth the wave for other candidates (Hegseth et al.) by having one candidate being met with almost universal disapprobation
2. Give Gaetz, an extremely loyal Trump supporter, an 'innocuous' reason to vacate his state house seat, with the presumed legal effect, that the vacation would prevent the publishing of the misconduct report. Which it did - until, in the end, it didn't.
Is that good ethics? No. It's politics. Cynical but transparent - and at least for PEOTUS it had the desired effect.
I'm willing to accept shenanigans such as these because I'm allowed to be aware of them and make my own conclusions - and because they don't preempt, in this case, Matt Gaetz from prosecution if he has violated the law.
What I like about Trump is the fact that, to a much higher degree, I'm being allowed to see the shenanigans, the political games. They're not being done in the Senate and House backrooms. I'm sure some are and will continue to be - but the game *is* more transparent because Trump slugs it out in the open.
Thanks for the thumbs up to my rap - A.I. is a crazy tool. It constitutes Freedom of Expression 8.0, or some such version number, and we just need to educate ourselves to understand this new tool - as do the powers that be.
It's no different from what we were required to do when Gutenberg invented the printing press (1.0). Or when we were hit with smear pamphlets and political satire during the revolutions of Europe (2.0). Or when the daily newspapers started circulation (3.0). Or when radio (4.0) and since television (5.0) came along. Or when the internet hit us (6.0), when SoMe changed everything once again (7.0) - and now when A.I. gives reality a whole new spin. 8.0.
There are challenges every time our free expression is given new forms and tools, and educating ourselves to understand, recognise and utilise them is incumbent on *us*. Never ever must we cede that job to governments and authorities, regardless of how much they claim it's for our benefit and protection.
The European incursions on free speech are massive but have been incrementally adopted so as to not raise too much protestation. The EU Digital Services Act is a particularly nasty example of this - and I really don't think it will stand. These incursions will fall because people are getting wise to them. The reason for this, that people actually live in the realities, which the European governments would like to suppress - and are suppressing.
The situation the UK is especially egregious and and example of what happens when you reside in a country, that doesn't have a firm founding document such as The American Constitution. Not even in Denmark do we have something nearly as bullet-proof as the US First Amendment. You really are blessed.
I'm hit daily with Constitutional Envy, Mark 🥲
So, yes, I'm an unabashed admirer of your country and it's values, though not always an admirer of the way you execute them. I am, however, a firm believer in the phrase popularly coined by your 'Therapist Laureate' dr. Phil:
"he best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour"
There is nothing in our 80+ year alliance, nor in your constitutional base, that indicates to me, that the USA wouldn't continue to be to Denmark the most valuable, staunchest ally a small country like ours could possibly hope for.
In friendships, friends sometimes have to tell each other hard truths when the friendship is mismanaged by either party. In serious cases an intervention is sometimes called for. Trump, imperfect a vessel as he is, is such an intervention. That's how I view it - and an intervention is absolutely warranted. It really, really is.
It gives me no pleasure to say it, but say it I will.
Yes, Gaetz was probably a feint, but Republican congresspeople have been willing to pretend to believe the Big Lie. I can’t see any redeeming features in that kind of Orwellian abnegation.
Except that it makes good fodder for jokes—e.g. Trump chose Gaetz only because Diddy isn’t available at the moment.
These days satire is generally being sorely challenged to outdo reality, though. That’s where the first amendment is a saving grace. The new thought-crime laws in England and Scotland are hard to believe. Ridiculous canceling and mockeries of justice in Canada. The EU has a similar overprecautionary approach. So, hooray for American mudslinging, smokescreens, and misdirection.
Impressive how well-versed you are in the state of the Republic. We could go on and on. Don’t let’s start on Musk. 🤯
Of course I'm well-versed. You guys moved on democracy 75 years before we did. We were slow adopters and it was largely handed to us by Frederik VIII who didn't care much for power and governing but a lot for food, drink and females. The lack of a bloody revolution is probably part of our complacent make-up as a people - though I must say France seems to have been taken over in a willing manner. We'll see for how long.
I will post something about Musk soon and will look forward to engage with you 😅
I agree with much of this and the preceding post, Jesper, especially about Berlingske’s framing of Trump and Denmark’s relation to Greenland. And I applaud your zeal and conviction.
But I think you’re too dismissive of TDR, which is difficult to avoid in some degree if you watch the rallies or the infomercials you’ve presented. It’s important to distinguish between Trump’s personality (persona, really) and manner and his policies.
You can favor free speech, border restrictions, banning gender-affirming care for minors, etc., enough to vote for him instead of the alternative, and still find him a loathsome demagogue.
He’s both a pathological liar and a tactical bullshitter, and the latter can have advantages for his allies, even if he isn’t anyone’s true ally.
When Denmark “collaborates” with such an untrustworthy partner on Arctic security, it’s not only about fortifying the West’s geopolitical power. It’s also about massaging the image of personal power he wants to gain from a real estate vanity project.
Can Denmark both “bend over backwards” to support US strength, as you think it should, and also keep Greenland in the Realm, as you hope it will?
I don't know if we can. It depends on our government entirely, legally. However, Denmark needs to show Greenland some love on a seriously serious level. If there's a referendum in Greenland, that shows that a clear majority of Greenlanders want to secede from the Danish Commonwealth, well, then the Government is in a pickle - because how do you force someone to stay who wants to leave? It will be completely unsustainable.
As for Trump and USA, I willingly admit, that I have almost limitless goodwill towards your country and trust the good, moral and ethical intentions of the incoming administration. I'm not necessarily sure, that it will all be to our specific benefit, but I don't think we can demand that. We have behaved atrociously immature and irresponsibly for decades. It's time for us to put in some serious work and let the USA go about hers. The twain *will* meet but it may take awhile. The Trump Administration needs to get to work.
I'm under no illusions about Trump's failings and foibles - but they are transparent, what you see is what you get. There's an honesty to his 'dishonesty'. I admire his resilience. The way Trump is constituted is exactly what you want in someone leading a declining superpower that needs to be brought back to greatness. And ... he is funny 🤓
Sorry, Mark, we won't see eye to eye on the Orange B*stard. And we don't need to. I'll be watching him closely and if I'm wrong, in four years I'll buy everybody a round 🥴
Your optimism about America is heartening, really.
I also think the new admin could be a significant improvement—domestically with dewokeification and DOGE as well as indirectly for Europe.
But does the nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General indicate good ethical intentions?
I know what you mean by an honest dishonesty, but it’s stretching the term.
But there’s no “wink wink” accompanying his fabrications. He had to keep the con going with the MAGA troops.
The closest thing to candor was Steve Bannon’s declared strategy to “flood the zone with shit.”
Of course the Democrats were running their own disinfo ops.
Despite its dysfunctional, “post-truth” politics, America enjoys great geographical, demographic, military, and technological advantages.
I agree that Europe has to be jolted out of stagnation.
Fantastic rap, BTW.
Gaetz was a strategic ploy. It was, imho, never the intention that Gaetz would make it to secretary. It was, ostensibly, intended to serve two purposes:
1. Smooth the wave for other candidates (Hegseth et al.) by having one candidate being met with almost universal disapprobation
2. Give Gaetz, an extremely loyal Trump supporter, an 'innocuous' reason to vacate his state house seat, with the presumed legal effect, that the vacation would prevent the publishing of the misconduct report. Which it did - until, in the end, it didn't.
Is that good ethics? No. It's politics. Cynical but transparent - and at least for PEOTUS it had the desired effect.
I'm willing to accept shenanigans such as these because I'm allowed to be aware of them and make my own conclusions - and because they don't preempt, in this case, Matt Gaetz from prosecution if he has violated the law.
What I like about Trump is the fact that, to a much higher degree, I'm being allowed to see the shenanigans, the political games. They're not being done in the Senate and House backrooms. I'm sure some are and will continue to be - but the game *is* more transparent because Trump slugs it out in the open.
Thanks for the thumbs up to my rap - A.I. is a crazy tool. It constitutes Freedom of Expression 8.0, or some such version number, and we just need to educate ourselves to understand this new tool - as do the powers that be.
It's no different from what we were required to do when Gutenberg invented the printing press (1.0). Or when we were hit with smear pamphlets and political satire during the revolutions of Europe (2.0). Or when the daily newspapers started circulation (3.0). Or when radio (4.0) and since television (5.0) came along. Or when the internet hit us (6.0), when SoMe changed everything once again (7.0) - and now when A.I. gives reality a whole new spin. 8.0.
There are challenges every time our free expression is given new forms and tools, and educating ourselves to understand, recognise and utilise them is incumbent on *us*. Never ever must we cede that job to governments and authorities, regardless of how much they claim it's for our benefit and protection.
The European incursions on free speech are massive but have been incrementally adopted so as to not raise too much protestation. The EU Digital Services Act is a particularly nasty example of this - and I really don't think it will stand. These incursions will fall because people are getting wise to them. The reason for this, that people actually live in the realities, which the European governments would like to suppress - and are suppressing.
The situation the UK is especially egregious and and example of what happens when you reside in a country, that doesn't have a firm founding document such as The American Constitution. Not even in Denmark do we have something nearly as bullet-proof as the US First Amendment. You really are blessed.
I'm hit daily with Constitutional Envy, Mark 🥲
So, yes, I'm an unabashed admirer of your country and it's values, though not always an admirer of the way you execute them. I am, however, a firm believer in the phrase popularly coined by your 'Therapist Laureate' dr. Phil:
"he best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour"
There is nothing in our 80+ year alliance, nor in your constitutional base, that indicates to me, that the USA wouldn't continue to be to Denmark the most valuable, staunchest ally a small country like ours could possibly hope for.
In friendships, friends sometimes have to tell each other hard truths when the friendship is mismanaged by either party. In serious cases an intervention is sometimes called for. Trump, imperfect a vessel as he is, is such an intervention. That's how I view it - and an intervention is absolutely warranted. It really, really is.
It gives me no pleasure to say it, but say it I will.
Yes, Gaetz was probably a feint, but Republican congresspeople have been willing to pretend to believe the Big Lie. I can’t see any redeeming features in that kind of Orwellian abnegation.
Except that it makes good fodder for jokes—e.g. Trump chose Gaetz only because Diddy isn’t available at the moment.
These days satire is generally being sorely challenged to outdo reality, though. That’s where the first amendment is a saving grace. The new thought-crime laws in England and Scotland are hard to believe. Ridiculous canceling and mockeries of justice in Canada. The EU has a similar overprecautionary approach. So, hooray for American mudslinging, smokescreens, and misdirection.
Impressive how well-versed you are in the state of the Republic. We could go on and on. Don’t let’s start on Musk. 🤯
Of course I'm well-versed. You guys moved on democracy 75 years before we did. We were slow adopters and it was largely handed to us by Frederik VIII who didn't care much for power and governing but a lot for food, drink and females. The lack of a bloody revolution is probably part of our complacent make-up as a people - though I must say France seems to have been taken over in a willing manner. We'll see for how long.
I will post something about Musk soon and will look forward to engage with you 😅